WWE Clash Of Champions - Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura VS Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

[Jack-Hammer]

As part of the kickoff for tonight's SmackDown Live episode, Shane McMahon announced that Owens and Zayn would face Randy Orton and a partner of his choosing at COC. Following Orton's victory over Sami in a singles match, he & Owens beat him down until Nakamura ran out to make the save with both heels ultimately being left laying. Nakamura might not technically be named yet as Orton's partner, but he's going to be so I figured I'd just go ahead and list him as such for the thread.

However, while Orton & Nakamura were poising inside the ring for the fans, Shane and Daniel Bryan were watching on a monitor backstage. Bryan asked, hopefully it seemed, if this was the end of Shane's vendetta against Owens and Zayn but Shane told Bryan that he was making himself the special referee for their tag team match; Shane then added that if Owens and Zayn lost, he would fire them from SmackDown and he'd be sure that they weren't hired to work for Raw. Shane then walked off camera with Bryan staring after him.

I look for Daniel Bryan to play a role in this match with the result being that Owens and Zayn win. As for the reason why, I think that Bryan's justification will be for a couple of reasons; for one, I think Bryan will say that SmackDown is supposed to be about the talent rather than Shane constantly making himself the focal point, or at least something along those lines. For another reason, I think that Bryan might step in due to his feeling that Shane is becoming more like his father and sister by holding onto grudges and looking for ways to screw over stars; I think this will lead to Bryan bringing up his own history and his uphill struggle against the Authority.

 

[Macho Mans Beard]

I look for Daniel Bryan to play a role in this match with the result being that Owens and Zayn win. As for the reason why, I think that Bryan's justification will be for a couple of reasons; for one, I think Bryan will say that SmackDown is supposed to be about the talent rather than Shane constantly making himself the focal point, or at least something along those lines. For another reason, I think that Bryan might step in due to his feeling that Shane is becoming more like his father and sister by holding onto grudges and looking for ways to screw over stars; I think this will lead to Bryan bringing up his own history and his uphill struggle against the Authority.

I completely agree that this will happen. And it will tie into those 3 going way back with friendship. What I can really see happening is the 'Heel' turn of Shane and the 'heel/face' turn of Owens/Zayn.

All signs point hopefully to DB coming back as a wrestler. (We can only hope) And a potential last WWE match at WM against Shane before he leaves for another promotion (Cough* ROH)

As for Owens/Zayn I love that they are the focal point on SD. They are red hot and viewership is starting to show that trend. They both could easily do a face switch and fight the Shane Authority. And the crowd would be solidly behind them. You can see the crowd already gravitating towards a 'Pop'

In this match Owens/Zayn need to pin Orton. This saves face for Shinsuke and can easily make Orton a heel who sides with the Shane Authority. Pluys Orton is a much better heel than a face, we can all agree with that.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

All signs point hopefully to DB coming back as a wrestler. (We can only hope) And a potential last WWE match at WM against Shane before he leaves for another promotion (Cough* ROH)

And why would WWE allow him to wrestle, but only wrestle one match? If they let him wrestle he'd most likely just stay there. Either way, don't get your hopes up.

And in simple, typical WWE fashion, Shane will likely get knocked out of the ring/match. DB will probably just bring a ref down to count the eventual Owens/Zayn win. This will lead to the tension between DB and Shane. It can also distract Shane from Owens/Zayn, because turning them face after Zayn literally just turned heel makes no sense.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I don't know why Shane is the face in any of this to begin with. He was making himself guest referee and costing Owens United States title matches. I also didn't get how he was the face in the AJ Styles feud for WrestleMania. Styles lost to Cena, never got his one on one rematch, Orton vacated his rumble win, Styles won the number one contender spot, was forced to again fight for it against Orton which Orton won. None of that makes any sense and made AJ justified in the fact that he was getting screwed over.

I never minded Shane much until this fall where i'm so sick of seeing him as the focal point on Smackdown. Between him and Jinder Mahal Smackdown has been an absolute chore to get through the last 6 months or so. There are ways to make wrestling interesting besides constantly having authority figures be taken down. WWE just hasn't figured it out yet. I also have no desire to see Daniel Bryan wrestle again because I never really cared for him. It's pretty selfish on his part to want to again if his injuries are as bad as reported and he has a wife and daughter to think about. But it's his life and if he wants to wrestle again and gets the ok then go for it.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

The only problem i have with this is that they telegraph the ending by adding all these stipulation in the match. They could have use one or the other and it would have been fine. You could have wonder if Owens and zayn had a chance of winning and how they would do it or how Shane would screw them out of the match.

But now the focus is all on how the match will end, because we know damn well that owens and Zayn are not losing this match. The only way i could see them losing at this point is if they're contract are up and they're not resigning which would be a shame because they are the 2 best heel on the roster right now. No wonder that they got chosen to be in this program with Shane.

As for those that are asking, why is Shane the Face in this program and why was he the face with AJ Styles. That's quite simple, He's over as a babyface. Fans goes nuts every time his music plays. He actually makes money for the company and elevates anybody he'S feuding with. His matches feels like actual main events matches, that'S why he's always the face in his feuds.

As for this one, i kinda feels that by the end of this, when they are going to set up, shane's feud for mania, he might actually go heel and we might start seeing some hint of it during this match. I feel like the end game is to great 2 top heels with this feud and that's what they're doing here, it'S working to perfection and Owens and Zayn have step up their game and are in a better position within the company. After this feud is over, i could see something we're Bryan and Shane get into a feud which would lead to either a match at mania between the 2 or something like they both pick somebody to represent them and whoever win gets control of smackdown.

Either way, the one thing that's sure about this match at clash of champions is that orton and nakamura aren't winning the match.

 

[#hamler]

Shane has been itching to finally get his revenge on Owens and Zayn but i highly doubt it happens this Sunday. There are so many ways this storyline could end up going and nearly all are pretty satisfying for me. With the added second official in Daniel Bryan, the foundations are being laid for a huge heel turn. And really, any of these six men can turn and it would make perfect sense. Whatever the case, Owens and Zayn come out looking like a million bucks and emerge victorious.

Hamler's Prediction — Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will defeat Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura

 

[Greg4WWE]

Shane should be the face in the feud with Zayne and Owens. I mean, it is obvious. BUT they shouldn't have dragged DB into it. Now Bryan will likely be a "heel" which is a horrible idea. DB as a heel just doesn't work. I guess Bryan is heading out and they want to make him look bad before he leaves.

 

[Wolf Pac]

If Daniel Bryan is to come out of retirement, they should go with Daniel Bryan vs. Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania, which should be a safe first match back for Bryan.